Hemodialysis systems have been designed to carry out blood therapy procedures such as slow continuous ultrafiltration (SCUF), continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH), continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVHD) or continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF). These continuous renal replacement therapies, referred to as CRRT, are designed for removal of metabolic waste and excess fluid from patients in fluid overload and who need renal support. Presently available extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus often requires inconvenient and time consuming setup procedures including cleaning and/or replacing the blood and/or fluid tubing for different patients and for different therapies. Such procedures may require the apparatus to be removed from a patient's bedside or room to another location, or replacing an apparatus with a system that is set up and configured for carrying out a specific therapy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,252 describes an apparatus configured for performing the different blood therapies and provides means for selecting one of the therapies to be carried out. The described apparatus is an assembly of all pumps, tubing, multiple fluid supply reservoirs, waste fluid container and filter cartridge necessary for performing any one of the selected blood therapies.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,485 describes another multipurpose hemofiltration system comprising an assembly of a blood filter cartridge, pumps, fluid reservoir and waste fluid container, components for comparing the weights of the fluid reservoir and waste fluid container and means for controlling the pump operations and rate in response to the compared weights during the therapy.
A Prismaflex™ system marketed by Gambro of Lakewood, Colo. offers selection of different CRRT therapies. The system allows the user to select a prepackaged, preassembled assembly incorporating all of the components including specific column and type of filter membrane or membrane filter surface area and all preconnected tubing for carrying out the selected therapy.
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/183,537, filed Jul. 31, 2008 (TRANSVI.024A), there is described a modular hemofilter apparatus having removable panels for multiple and alternate blood therapy. The apparatus and system described in the aforesaid application provides a flexible treatment system characterized by a panel assembly having removable and disposable panels installed on the apparatus housing control unit whereby filter columns and/or tubing sets mounted on the panels may be replaced with filters and/or panels having different tubing configurations to accommodate different blood treatment therapies. The aforesaid application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/105,703 filed Oct. 15, 2008 (TRANSVI.025PR), the aforesaid modular hemofiltration apparatus with removable panels is further described including special and unique panel designs and tubing configurations. In U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/105,712 filed Oct. 15, 2008 (TRANSVI.026PR), there are disclosed components and features for readily and efficiently manually mounting and removing the panels and filter cartridges by an operator. The aforesaid provisional applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, respectively.